Matty Healy, the frontman of The 1975, has apologized after threatening to “slap” American rapper Azealia Banks during a fiery exchange on social media. The drama began when Banks posted a comment on X (formerly Twitter) about Charli XCX, who is engaged to George Daniel, Healy’s bandmate. Banks shared a 2014 music video of Charli, saying, “Charli used to be soooo pretty. Ugh.”
Healy fired back, accusing Banks of attacking “culturally relevant, attractive, divisive, and nice” women out of jealousy, adding, “Just rap, bro.” This led to a heated back-and-forth where Banks called Healy “Frankenstein,” prompting him to post a now-deleted tweet saying, “I’ll slap you so hard I’ll get a Guinness world record for the highest a wig has ever flown.”
Realizing his comments were inappropriate, Healy quickly apologized, stating, “I can’t be saying I’m gonna hit a girl—that’s insane. I’m sorry.” He acknowledged his anger over Banks’ remarks about his friends but admitted that his response was “not cool.”
Fans were outraged by Healy’s initial post, with many pointing out that threatening violence, especially against women, is unacceptable. The backlash comes amid growing awareness of violence against women in the UK, which has been declared a national emergency.
This isn’t the first time Healy has faced criticism for his behavior. In a recent online discussion, he admitted regretting controversial past actions, including making a Nazi salute during a performance in January 2023 and mocking rapper Ice Spice’s ethnicity on a podcast. These incidents were widely condemned as racist and offensive, leading to platforms like Apple and Spotify removing the podcast episode.
Healy’s recent controversies have sparked debates about his behavior, with some calling for accountability. Meanwhile, Azealia Banks continued the feud, suggesting Healy improve his hygiene and mocking his appearance.
The 1975 frontman’s actions have drawn sharp criticism, but his repeated apologies have left many questioning whether he is truly learning from his mistakes.
